Cynical

The opening track of California, this was the second-to-last song written for the project. The album was recorded at Foxy Studios in early 2016 with producer John Feldmann (Good Charlotte, 5 Days of Summer). He was the group's first new producer since longtime collaborator Jerry Finn. California was also the first album by the band to feature vocalist/guitarist Matt Skiba, who replaced former member Tom DeLonge.

Feldmann explained the background to the song to Fuse TV: "Mark [Hoppus] had this idea of what people may or may not think about a new version of Blink, with a new member, making a record with a producer - they haven't made a record with a producer in eight or nine years - the idea of thinking the world is in a cynical place in general. He came up with this really cool concept and [Alkaline Trio's Matt] Skiba had the outro, half-time melody in his head and it worked perfectly. We're starting the album out with 'This is who we are, this is what we're doing.'"

Drummer Travis Barker insisted that he did his part in one take. Take 3 is the version that made the record, despite the fact he thought he'd messed up in the beginning. Mark Hoppus told NME: "Travis is doing this huge drum roll, messes up and screams 'AARGH!' In frustration: We kept that in."

Fun fact: The original Cynics were members of a school of ancient Greek philosophers. They were contemptuous of wealth, luxury and pleasure, believing that such things distracted from a quest for self-knowledge. Instead they advocated the pursuit of virtue in accordance with a simple and idealistic way of life.